Faster Forward: July 29, 2007 - August 4, 2007

On Tuesday, the Federal Communications Commission voted to impose "open access" rules on next year's auction of a valuable chunk of wireless spectrum. These conditions, as outlined previously here, would require companies that win this auction to let their customers use the devices and software of their choice--a big departure...

... this morning, the perpetually-useful Lifehacker blog brings word that Google Maps now provides estimates of traffic delays with its driving directions. For example, when I look up the route from my home to Dulles Airport, Google Maps informs me that the drive should take "about 36 mins" or "up...

I still take pride in my ability to figure out where I'm at and where I need to go to next from just the scenery and the angle of the sun (plus, if strictly necessary) a map. I don't stop and ask for a directions either. But I have to...

When I logged on this morning, I had a message waiting for me from my colleague Beth Chang, who used to review kids' CD-ROMs for the Post back when you couldn't expect them to work on your computer every time: so, i was trying to figure out where i knew...

Not long ago, I came across this odd sight on my morning run--a car with personalized license plates that read: CTRL X That's computer-ese for the "cut" command. I looked around for cars with CTRL C and CTRL V ("copy" and "paste") but didn't see any. A couple of blocks...

Today is a notable day in the tech business. Six months ago, Windows Vista arrived in stores after years of development. From here, it doesn't look like it's been a great half-year for Microsoft. Vista hasn't provided any serious boost to the PC market, the Gartner Group reported in late...